LA VERNE Calif. (March 17, 2018) – Senior outfielder Adam Tricarico hit three home runs but it was not enough as the University of La Verne topped Rutgers University-Newark 13-7 Saturday in California.
 
The Leopards opened a 12-0 lead early, but Tricarico and the Scarlet Raiders clawed back behind his three-homer barrage. Ultimately it was not enough, but the veteran's display was one for the ages. Once before had a Rutgers-Newark player hit three long balls in a single game, with Tricarico crushing dingers six, seven and eight for his Raider career. The previous instance came back on March 19, 2010 when then-junior Michael Cassese hammered eight long balls in a win at Cal Lutheran.

"I've never witnessed three home runs in a game to each part of the park like that - right field, center fielder and left field," said Head Coach Mark Rizzi after the game. "All three were gone off the bat, just amazing at-bats for Adam."
 
Rutgers-Newark drops to 5-7 on the season and will look to get back into the win column Sunday at Whittier College. La Verne improves to 11-8 with its third win in four outings.
 
The Leopards scored eight runs on six hits and an error in the bottom of the first, taking an 8-0 lead. Six of the runs were earned and it was just too deep a hole for the Scarlet Raider offense to climb out of.
 
La Verne added four more in the third, with the Scarlet Raiders getting on the board in the fourth when Tricarico crossed the dish on a sac fly from Dominic Magliaro. Senior catcher Justin Marks blasted his first home run of the year leading off the fifth frame to make it a 12-2 ballgame.
 
Newark trimmed two runs off the Leopard lead in the sixth. Tricarico connected on his second bomb of the season, clearing the fence in right to lead off the inning, and senior Joe Biggiani netted an RBI thanks to a two-out base knock later in the frame.
 
Rutgers-Newark cut what was a 12-run hole down to six in the seventh with two more runs thanks to Tricarico's second homer in two innings, a two-run jack to right-center.
 
Rutgers-Newark put on two in the eighth and Tricarico blasted his third dinger of the night in the top of the ninth, but the Raiders could get no closer, splitting the two-game set with La Verne.
 
Tricarico finished 3-for-4 with three homers, four RBI, one walk and four runs scored, and senior Brian Boulineau went 2-for-4 with a run scored and a walk. Dominic Magliaro went 2-for-3 with a double and sac fly as the Scarlet Raiders racked up 10 hits in the game.
 
Sophomore Vincent Conti was excellent out of the bullpen, going four sterling innings. He allowed three hits and two walks, striking out one.